Tale of a Moon Monger
by Prince Exor
Summary: The story of two Twili's who wanted more than they could have. Read and Review
1. Chapter 1

Tale of a Moon Monger

Chapter 1

A peaceful silence hushed over the Twilight Kingdom. There was a pleasant grimness that extended far into the little forgotten empire nestled in the Shadow Realm, a grimness that the people there grew to love and accept as their own. The people themselves enjoyed a rare and wistful peace, peace that no other race ever enjoyed in their entire lifetime. This small settlement of shadow people soon became a grand secret kingdom in its time while enjoying the luxuries of advanced magic and technology, which ironically was more advanced than any other race. Strangely they developed these things not out of necessity, but out of luxury and interest in the magic's and secrets of their world. Unlike in the other realms, subtle beauties and simple luxuries were lauded as treasures of wonder to the Twili. The Twili had no troubles and wanted for nothing in life; they simply enjoyed being.

Of coarse peace was not always part of daily life, their past was riddled with darkness and horrific mistakes. These mistakes were not the Twili's to make, but they inherited the blame from their fathers and mothers. Their ancestors had gambled and wanted for unspeakable power that only the masses of greedy and misguided longed for. The folly of the dark interloper doomed them to walk among the shadows for an eternity, never to join the 'free' races in the golden land. An eternity of time passed after that. The interlopers had no real way to know how long they were waiting, for day and night had no meaning in this place. The sun and moon were absent from their eyes, and time became invisible to their senses.

Eventually time passed as did the generations of these people. Little by little the public would forget why they had come in the first place. It seemed to be of little consequence how they came to live in the twilight realm as they were already there and they had no reason to long for more. Curiosity was not something the commoners felt for their origins, only the here and now was important. It seemed the only ones who knew the history were those in the royal court, and it was simply because they were required to study it. However, in addition to the royal court there was one other who was curious, perhaps too curious for his own good.

The King of Twilight had unexpectedly summoned his two trusted subordinates to a private meeting in his throne room one day. One was called Zant, a young male twili. Zant was very serious and by the book, yet immensely dedicated to his work. He was chosen to be one of the king's advisors due to his knowledge of twili history and magic, and was an accomplished magic user due to his dedication and ethic. He was against spontaneity of all sorts and abhorred humor when it came to royal duties. This was more of vulnerability than a strength; pushing his buttons was incredibly easy, no matter how straight faced he attempted to be. Regardless of his sour attitude, he was incredibly polite and refined. He had a genuine way of talking, and never spoke ill of anyone. The public appreciated Zant, and always would relay their serious problems to him.

The kings other advisor was a young female twili named Midna. Midna was almost a polar opposite to the dire and serious Zant. Midna was like the commoners; she enjoyed life and wasn't about to let royal duties get in the way. Midna was chosen out of recommendation from the people. She was well liked by the simple citizens of the realm, and had a fantastic intuition and love for the normal folk and they're history. She was insistent and forthcoming and the king enjoyed her company. She offered a second opinion to Zants logical approaches, often poking fun at how straight laced he was. The two would often engage in inane arguments resulting in Midna's superiority, stemming from her ability to turn logical debates in on themselves.

"Midna…Zant…" the pale faced king called "I'm glad you both could come."  
The king adjusted himself in his seat, slowly groaning until he became more comfortable. Zant waited unblinkingly while he did this, while Midna glanced over at him. She smiled a bit to herself. Zant did this all the time, waiting patiently without even blinking. Perhaps it was to show off his dedication, but most of the time the king didn't even notice.

"What did you need my lord? You sounded urgent in your notice…" Zant asked. Usually these meetings were of little consequence, usually pertaining to reorganizing some scrolls or making the gardener do his job. But something about the cryptic note they received seemed rather off and uncommonly urgent. The king sighed a bit, not answering Zant's question.

"My lord…" Midna asked, "Is there something we can do for you?"

"Yes….yes." The old king muttered after a prolonged silence, raising his tired eyes at the two of them. "I've been alerted to some troubling news. I'm not sure how to…go about this situation because it's never happened in all my years of ruling."

The King stood after that, finding more strength from his worry. He paced around silently, trying to word out his dilemma. Zant and Midna exchanged some nervous glances at that point.  
"Sire, I'm sure it's nothing me and Zant here can't handle. Go ahead and tell us." Midna said in a motherly tone. The king nodded and turned towards them, his long dark robes flowing as he did.

"I'm sure you're both familiar with our leading sorcerer, Majora?" He asked. Zant nodded, while Midna let loose a somewhat disgusted look off to the side.

"Yes…I have spoken with him a few times. He's rather difficult to talk to, but he is a genius." Zant explained, trying to hide his admiration.

"How cute, Zant's in love." Midna muttered loudly while crossed her arms "He's not only difficult to speak with, but he's also a leering pretentious egotist…he talks as if he invented air." The king laughed at her explanation, but quickly resumed his worried look after a few chuckles.

"Recently, his apprentice turned up dead." He said with precision and volume, seemingly to scare them into listening. It echoed through the hall, while Midna quirked an eyebrow. Had she heard that right? Twili die when they get old, not all of the sudden. Death was not something these people were accustomed to.

'Majora would give no explanation for it, he only reported 'these things happen I suppose'." The king explained grimly. Midna looked rather peeved by that statement, letting out a sigh of disgust.

"Oh, he WOULD say that…" she snorted.

"Midna!" Zant hissed in a loud whisper. "Mind your manners!" With that the two started babbling incoherently in argument. Stress between the two was suddenly heightened, most likely due to the situation. The king paced some more, waiting for them to quiet down and straighten up. Usually he would let things like this go, but his patience grew extremely thin now.

"I hate to entertain a thought like this, but I think it might be murder we are dealing with. Majora refuses to speak about it, but at the same time he doesn't seem upset by his protégé's death." The two quieted instantly. Murder had not happened since the interloper's time. It was so rare there wasn't even an official law against it. Such an act was unthinkable now.

"What would you have us do, lord?" Zant asked, hesitantly. The king looked at the two with stern eyes.

"You must speak with Majora…get the truth. I don't care how." He ordered.

Midna relaxed her arms down to her sides again. It didn't seem so simple to her. Getting any kind of normal response out of Majora was hard.

"And what if it is murder? What do we do?" She asked.

"Then we must offer punishment." He replied. Zant and Midna looked down trying to hide their grim looks. "I know that this is unusual, but we can't let murder go unaccounted for. It could cause panic and disorder."

"And if he resists?" Zant asked, looking back up. He knew the words he didn't want to hear.

"Zant, you and Midna are very skilled magic users. I'm sure you'll think of something." He said with a hint of annoyance. He was implying the use of force, something neither of them were skilled in doing. The two stared at the old king in disbelief, waiting for him to say something else. He would usually give words of encouragement, or a kind departing message. This time they received nothing but a cold stare.

"That is all." He simply said, and went to sit down again. Midna and Zant bowed and then left the chamber, exchanging looks to one another. They didn't get much farther out of the hallway when they began conversing.

"Should we both go and speak to him? I think he'd be less likely to act out with both of us there, I'm not sure on what we should do…" Zant said all in one breath, pacing back and forth feverishly. Midna glared at him.

"Absolutely not! I'm not speaking with that…thing. I'm not even going near him." She said in a demanding tone. Zant came to stop in his pacing and looked a tad bit worried that he apparently was going alone now.

"So I have to do it myself? Why can't you come with me? It would be easier to obtain the truth with two…" He pleaded. Midna sighed, losing some of the fierce look in her eyes. She looked up at Zant and shook her head.

"I don't like the way he looks at me. It's incredibly unsettling. He's always trying to get some kind of rise out of me. Besides, he likes you better…you've spoken with him for extended times before, right?"

"Well…yes. But it was less than pleasant. He started asking me odd questions. Do I love myself, what do I desire most…" He said, looking away from Midna's gaze with an uncomfortable expression transfixing his own. "When I spoke with him, he had been studying our history. In fact…he had already finished the scrolls. There's no rule for our people studying the writings, but…sometimes I feel like its better not knowing."

"I know exactly what you mean Zant." Midna said, crossing her arms. She suddenly smiled at Zant, which calmed his nerves a bit. "So! It's decided. You go by yourself and I'm going to the gardens." She walked away abruptly after that, her bare feet making soft padding sounds as she did.

"W-wait! I never agreed to that!" He called out. It was too late, Midna was gone. He sighed angrily. "Irresponsible little…."

Zant quietly made his way across the large castle and through the towers towards where Majora usually studied. He took his time, nervously mulling over the awkward meeting with the king in his head. Perhaps it was nothing big at all. Maybe the student was ill, if that was even possible. This was all most likely a misunderstanding. After all, Majora was the most respected magical mind in the entire realm. But it was incriminating that Majora himself was a tad bit eccentric and a bit of a loose cannon. He was different than the other Twili people. The twili mostly enjoyed social occasions and group settings, but Majora was anti-social. He hated group unity it seemed, but he was not against company or personal engagements. He enjoyed pushing the envelope and trying new things, something that was considered dangerous by the twili public. He even looked slightly different than most twili. He was about as tall as Zant, but was shaped differently. He had a similar shape to Midna, who had a unique look as it was. He was incredibly skinny but was toned at the same time. He wore less than most twili, wearing nothing but a lower tunic-skirt, colored in a gaudy blue, belted by a goldish yellow. He was the only one who wore colors like that. The gold was normal in twili garb, but the vibrant blue stood out entirely. Most twili's eyes were delicate, and couldn't handle colors such as those. Instead of keeping his red hair groomed like Zant or Midna, he let it grow wild with long wiry strands extending down his back. Like all twili he had a naturally pale body, with black marks covering it. His black marks ran across his body, but made a peculiar shape across his chest. The shape resembled eye-like markings almost, accentuating his tone. But above all of these things, the most undisputed quality that Majora had was his eyes. His eyes were much larger than those of a normal male twili. They were large, piercing, and colored a violent orangeish red. These eyes were eyes that leered at you in the dark, eyes that could see into your very soul.

Over the years, Majora became more reclusive, taking in less and less students. He suddenly spent his time researching the endless texts that detailed the origin of the Twili and the ones who condemned them. For some reason he could not cease his eyes from pacing word after word, absorbing every meaning and every phrase. The books and scrolls he enjoyed the most spoke of the golden land, Hyrule. This forbidden land was the land of the faithful, the land of hard workers and discipline. It was much different from his own home, where everyone was wistful, lazy, and content. The books spoke of the sun and the moon that marked the passing of each day, days he had never heard of. After a while, he became obsessed with these occurrences. He also became obsessed with the passage of time. Time had little meaning in the twilight realm, but he found the notion to be incredibly interesting. Out of gears and various devices, he had constructed a clock and taught himself how to read it. For him, a weekly cycle would encompass a mere three days by Hylian standards. He would feverishly attempt to carve pictures that depicted these things he had never seen, and in his heart he could never hope to see. Eventually his entire chamber wall was covered in these carvings, carvings that attempted to give reason to his obsession with the celestial bodies and the passage of time.

Zant finally summoned the courage and rose to his tower, a large dimly lit dome like chamber. Zant could see the lanky sorcerer off on one end of the room, working on some kind of conjuration. Majora was extremely energetic at times but when it came to his own personal work he was focused and detailed, much like how Zant was with his own work. He would wait days at a time without food or rest, just watching his work grow and change. He could sit as still and silent as a statue during these times, using his observant eyes to catch any nuance or change. Zant stepped in and noted the bizarre carvings on the wall, some hastily scribbled and others ornate and detailed. He took another step inside when Majora noticed him. He jerked his head around with a snap, his bright eyes illuminating some of the darkness.

"Why my good friend Zant!" He chirped, dropping his work and walking towards him. He had a large smile on his face but Zant did not return it, he kept his deadpan gaze set on him.

"What brings you here my boy? Come to chat? Come to learn? Come to see?" He asked, stopping with a small jerk in an uncomfortably close proximity. Zant awkwardly took a step back. Zant cleared his throat and faced the strange conjurer.

"I've come to……well…" Zant rubbed the back of his head nervously. "I've come to ask you something. I've heard a rumor that…"

"My apprentice is dead, yes. These things happen. A shame! He was a promising mind!" Majora said, still grinning. His nonchalant way of putting it was rather disturbing. Zant was perplexed as how he could openly come out and say it.

"Well…why is he dead?" Zant asked, his eyes becoming antagonized by Majora's phrasing. Something was off about this encounter, he could already tell.

"Because he died. It was his time to go, so he went." Majora said in a pleasant sigh.

"No no…" Zant said, becoming impatient. "You must know how he died and the reason, I need the truth Majora." Majora chuckled, and walked back to his altar giving no answer at all. He swayed lazily from side to side as he did. "Majora! I'm speaking to you! I'm under the orders of the King of Twilight to-"

"Shhhhhhh!" Majora hushed, crouching by the altar to retrieve wine. "Zant Zant Zant…you're so young. You're far too young to be so uptight."

"I'm not uptight!" He snapped, standing tall and taking a step forward. Majora cackled a bit, pouring himself a glass.

"Its always business with you my friend. Do you honestly enjoy acting like that?"

"I can't help the way I act, I just do. I need to be upstanding and-"

"Professional and clean and blah blah blah…" Majora said, sitting on his own altar. "What's that attitude really about Zant? Explain yourself." He sipped his drink and looked quizzically towards Zant with a snarky smile. Zant scowled and gritted his teeth.

"I'm not here for mind games Majora! I just want answers." He said through his frown. His voice sounded extremely aggravated.

"And I want answers TOO!" Majora snapped, letting wine spill on the floor. "You give me what I want, and I'll tell you what you're so desperate to hear you lap dog!" Zant sighed angrily, regaining his composure. He wouldn't stoop down to this inane level.

"Why am I so serious? Because someone has to be." He explained. "We can't all be wistful and apathetic. Someone, at least ONE person has to have the answers, because when things go wrong people aren't going to go to the nice friendly one who will tell them what they want to hear, they'll go to wisest one who will tell them the truth." There was definitely a hint of bitterness in what he said. Majora cooed at this as he could detect it.

"Oooooo bitter are we? Does Zant have some unspoken feelings? Particularly against a certain Midna?" He said, egging him on.

"I hold nothing against Midna. In fact she's one of my closest friends." He said, backtracking himself a bit.

"Then tell me Zant, I know that you two are both candidates to replace that blubbering king…which one of you deserves it more?" He asked. Zant was silent for a long time. He didn't want to expose himself in front of him.

"I have worked tirelessly…" He started. "I have solved the kings problems, I have done everything asked of me…I've worked and trained without food or sleep, I know the laws and the histories by memory. I think I would make a good king."

"And I agree my friend." Majora said toasting his goblet towards Zant. He was pleased at these results and didn't bother to hide it. Zant looked away, feeling like he had been tricked. He had never said this to anyone before in order to not seem arrogant. But for some reason he felt that he could speak his mind here. Majora was able to get emotions like this out of anyone his eyes saw.

"So you're so deadpanned because you think being a leader is a serious and big deal. I suppose I understand. Midna would most likely run this old place into the ground, not like it would matter though!" He said. He snorted, taking another drink. Zant watched him, waiting for his answers now. Majora gulped down his wine, and then looked back at him. His smile disappeared suddenly.

"I know why you're here, Zant. You're trying to find out if I murdered that weak little sap." Majora's light voice suddenly became low and rumbling. Zant didn't change his face, but inside his heart started pounding. Was this a confession or was Majora playing more games?

"The king is too weak to confront me himself so he sends his lapdog. Midna didn't come with you because she's a damned cowardish whore. Are you the only one who doesn't feel endangered by being around little old radical me, Zant?"

"No. I didn't want to come either. But it has to be done…" He said, blinking at how truthful he just was. It was like he couldn't stop speaking his mind, which was something he seldom did. Majora let out a single laugh.

"That's why I like you Zant. Determined to a fault. In the face of fear and possibly death, you do what you're told like a good dog." Zant suddenly snarled, losing his temper.

"You WILL exercise proper etiquette when speaking to me! I am the Kings advisor, NOT a lap dog!" He said in a raised voice. Majora was not threatened.

"I'm not making fun of you, little Zant. I'm only trying to get you to understand something." He said.

"Understand what?!" He stepped towards Majora, who was watching his every move.

"To make you understand that you, unlike your other countrymen, want more. Just like me. We both desire bigger and better things!"

"What does this have to do with your apprentice then?!" He seethed. Majora's eyes glowed and he suddenly bellowed.

"LISTEN and find out!" Zant suddenly stepped back and gasped at the loud noise Majora's voice made. Majora's voice was very shrill and piercing. "Zant, like I said, you and I are alike. We both have been living in this dark dank place for too long." Majora jumped off his seat and began pacing. Zant's breath was quick now as his anger turned into fear. He wanted to leave now. He felt something stirring inside of him, something he was trying hard to repress.

"I've been studying and working since I've been born. I've discovered and invented things that no one would believe. I've discovered wonders far beyond imagination. Does anyone appreciate them? No. Not a soul besides myself. I watch the lazy fat Twili every day. They are content to do nothing special with their lives and waste away into nothing. All they desire is just rock to stand upon and twilight to gaze on. Very soon…we will turn into mere shadows and cease to think." Majora sneered at this, looking out his window. "I've grown bored, Zant. Bored and depressed at this laziness. People are wasting their time here, and they look forward to the time they waste! It's disgusting!"

"They are our people, Majora." Zant said quietly, not liking where this conversation was going.

"YOUR people Zant. I'm not one of them, I'm special. I'm what the Hylian call an artist." He said. The term 'Hylian' made Zants heart jump a bit. No one besides himself were supposed to know these words. "I find myself wanting more. I've heard and read of things that I can't even imagine in my head." He paused, looking at an ornate round carving on the wall. He stroked the stone longingly, a lust taking over his eyes.

"I so wish to see the moon…it seems so beautiful in my dreams and yet I can never truly see it." He said, a hint of sorrow stinging his voice.

"You shouldn't have read about them then." Zant said. "It's our lot in life to remain here. If you read so much you would know this." Majora chuckled through his sadness while Zant was trying to explain.

"That's not what you really think Zant. Not in your deep dark heart at least. I can see right through that disguise of yours. You feel like our people are wasting away into nothingness. Outside the barriers of this world, you KNOW there is a golden land that we are entitled to. You've heard of those three whores…they put us here, because they feared true power. True power that I have rediscovered I might add."

"Majora!" Zant snapped. "Stop this nonsense at once! I don't know where you get off accusing me of these things or speaking about your home like this…but I highly suggest you put these things out of your head!"

"Oh there that anger of yours Zant." Majora said, not falling for it. "You're only getting angry because I'm absolutely right. I can see it in your eyes. You want out as badly as I do. There are WAYS to escape this realm, I've discovered them."

"I don't want to hear about your ludicrous plans!" Zant stormed, turning to walk out.  
"Wait! I didn't finish telling you about my apprentice!" Majora called. Zant stopped in his tracks, and turned around.

"I'm listening." He simply said.

"I told HIM about this too, a while back. I'm afraid that the feeling of entrapment and despair took over his body and mind. To escape, he took the only route a boy like him could take. Death." He said as if he were delivering a dramatic funeral speech. "Through that window, he leapt head first. Upon the courtyard ground his body broke, and his spirit pulled free. What a beautiful way to escape the body…his emotions were like a feast." Majora smiled then, as if he were recalling a pleasant distant memory. Zant stared at him, completely flabbergasted. Murder was one thing, but suicide? They didn't even have a word for suicide in their world.

"Go. Tell your king I'm innocent, like a good pup." He said, waving him out the door. Zant silently left, and walked down the stairs. The encounter has shaken him a bit. He wasn't even out of the tower when he sat against the wall, and buried his head in his hands. Majora had seen right through him. He was right about everything he had said. Zant was afraid on how this might affect him now that he admitted his jealousy and arrogance to himself. He remembered how he promised to suppress these feelings long ago. After all, the greater good was more important than being king. But he still desperately longed for the position, so he could build into the empire as he saw fit, and save his people from apathy. Majora was also right about Midna. Zant genuinely admired Midna, and she WAS his friend. But he could not help feeling jealousy on how much attention and love she received. The king adored her, and the people preferred her over Zant. Midna didn't even seem to notice the adoration she commanded, which made it more insulting to Zant. He sighed, and stood up. Once again he regained his composure, and left to tell the king. He would only report that Majora was innocent, and would not mention anything else about their conversation.

(stay tuned for the next chapter)


	2. Chapter 2

Tale of a Moon Monger

Chapter 2

The proceeding meeting with the king was less than pleasant. Zant had little to tell him other than "He is innocent." Midna and the king both looked at him with quirked eyebrows. Zant hid his shame by staring at the floor after delivering these words.

"And…that's all?" The King inquired. "That's all you've found out then?"

"Yes. I interrogated him endlessly. He did not murder his student." Zant replied stoically. He was afraid to say anymore, trying to keep Majora's words out of his head. Zant couldn't even look up at the king, being ashamed of the disdain he secretly felt. The king grumbled and angrily paced around near his throne. Occasionally he would look and glare in Zants direction.

"Your in trouble now…" Midna whispered cautiously. She intended it to be a warning, but Zant glared in her direction sensing an insult.

"You didn't get anything useful out of him?" The king demanded.

"No, nothing." Zant quickly replied. "He told me that his student had committed suicide due to depression."

"Depression?" Midna asked skeptically. "I didn't know that we could get depressed…" The king grumbled. This is not what he wanted to hear. He already had enough information from his spies; he just needed Majora gone now. Since the Twili nation had no guards or soldiers, Zant and Midna took up the role as enforcers. The problem was that Zant was too by the rules to kill, and Midna was too much a bleeding heart to use violence.

"Did you see ANYTHING incriminating in his quarters?! Anything suspicious?! Anything odd?!" He ordered.

"No! I swear he is innocent of any crime!" Zant pleaded, taking a step forward to argue his point.

"Zant, I KNOW he did it." The king said with intense agitation. "You and Midna were supposed to get rid of him! Did you not understand my message? Majora is too dangerous to be kept around. You brainless dolt…I intended him to be dead by now!" The three of them well knew that murder was forbidden, but the King seemingly wanted to break that law himself now. It would seem that Zant and Midna were supposed to interoperate his threat as an order in their previous meeting. But at the same time, Midna was thinking that something didn't add up. The king didn't seem to clearly state that he wanted Majora out of the picture regardless of his innocence. Suddenly Midna came to Zants rescue amidst all the insults and shouting.

"I'm sorry sire! I did not go. Zant went by himself. It's not all his fault."

"Well no WONDER nothing got done correctly!" He bellowed. Zant felt increasingly embarrassed. He felt his insides shrinking within his body and wanted to simply disappear entirely. Midna glanced his way; she could tell what he was feeling. She felt guilty at seeing his pain. If she had gone with him, they could both take the fall for this problem.

"I am deeply sorry sir…" Zant quietly said, his usually deep voice now lightly quivering. The king would have none of his apologies. He let loose a loud sigh, as readying himself to yell again.

"My lord if I may suggest something…" Midna asked, protectively stepping in front of Zant.

"You may." The king said, sitting down on his throne with a plop.

"I think it would be wise to find an alternative solution to this problem. Instead of dealing with Majora with force, perhaps I can think of something else." She explained.

"Well what did you have in mind?!" The king snapped, turning on her now. "Banishment? You forget that WE are the banished. You can't banish a banished person!"

"My lord," Midna firmly explained. "I will go to the temples and pray to them for an answer."

"They will not answer us. The goddesses have not responded to our prayers since we were banished." The king said with a hint of disgust in his voice. Most everyone had given up on the goddesses answering any of their questions.  
"Trust me." Midna sternly insisted. "Me and Zant will see through this together, I assure you." The king sighed, rubbing his beady pale eyes. Majora's exploits and inventions such as his clock and his more secretive projects were extremely threatening. He had wanted a reason to get rid of him and seize his creations for a while, and it was getting extremely complicated now with more and more people becoming wise to his true mission. It was too dangerous to let them know the entire story.

"Our Gathering is coming up soon. By the next cycle it will be upon us. I want this dealt with by then. Promise me this." Zant gained an ounce courage again and stepped forward.

"Yes my lord, we prom-"

"MIDNA promise me!" The king demanded, pointing at her. Midna narrowed her eyes in discomfort.

"We promise. Sir."

"You are dismissed." He said while waving his hand. The two left quickly and silently. Their footsteps echoed in the chamber until they had reached the hallway. They thought it wasn't possible but this meeting was less pleasant than the last. To add to the problem, Midna suspected the king was keeping something from them. Midna eyed Zant as he walked ahead with a violently faster pace. She knew he was deeply upset.

"Zant…Zant?" Midna called him, pulling on his robe after they exited. He would not look at her. "Zant will you please talk to me?" Zant pulled his robe out of her hand and took a few more steps ahead of her before stopping abruptly. He had never felt so low and uncouth. He had worked so hard over the years only to have his entire service belittled by the very person he was trying to please. Shaking with pure anger, he curled his hands into fists at his sides. Midna watched him do this, sensing his rage turning violent.

"Zant…calm down. Talk to me, please? Say something." She urged, keeping her distance. Zant couldn't let himself go, as angry as he was. He couldn't blurt out what he felt to Midna, it would make him seem weaker than he already felt. Finally, in an animalistic act of rage, Zant violently smashed his forehead and face against the wall and made a sickening crack. A wide eyed Midna jumped a bit, covering her mouth with her hand in shock.

"Zant! Stop that!" She demanded. He turned around, his forehead covered in dark purple twili blood. He gazed at the floor in utter chagrin. The wall he hit had cracks in it, demonstrating some untold strength he must've had.

"Listen to me Zant…" she said quietly, using her robe to wipe off his forehead. "Enough of that. I'm so sorry, this was all my fault. I should've swallowed my pride and gone with you."  
"I SHOULD h-have been able to d-do this myself…" He replied in an uncharacteristically light stutter. His arms shook with frustration at his side. "The king will never trust me again…"  
"That's not true. He's stressed because the Gathering is coming up soon. You know what he's like when he's angry." Zant's face twisted in a sudden release of anger.

"He's incompetent! That's why he needs us to do his job! Since when has the title of king implied uselessness?! He's as lazy as the rest of them!! He deserves no respect from us!!" Zant shouted, releasing what he truly wanted to say for a moment. Midna stared at him adamantly.

"Zant, don't ever say that again. You don't know what will happen if people hear that." Midna looked very stern. "That's not how you feel, your just angry. Please calm down…this isn't the Zant I know."

"Yes…yes I know." He said, retreating again. Midna smiled at him to give encouragement.

"You watch over Majora. Find out what the king is so threatened by. I'm going to try and pray for a solution. Alright?"  
"Yes…" he muttered, bowing to her. "Thank you." Zant ambled off after that, walking in a slumped way. She had never seen him react that way before. Maybe all the extra work he did was getting to him finally? She knew that all the strenuous amounts he took on couldn't have been good for his health. Whatever the reason was, she couldn't help feel that the situation was unfairly skewed against Zant in the last meeting. Midna frowned and crossed her arms.

"If I'm to get anything done, I need some REAL answers…" She muttered to herself, marching straight back into the throne room. As determined as ever, she let herself in unannounced. Oddly enough the king seemed to be expecting her. He sat casually, staring her down as she walked up the rows of steps.

"What can I help you with now, Midna?" The king asked, his tone now changed.

"What is the real story, your highness?" She demanded, only adding 'your highnesses in as a side note.

"What do you mean, Midna?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Midna huffed a bit.

"You expected Majora to be guilty, and assumed he would be dead by now. In our first meeting you didn't really give us good indication that you wanted him murdered. You know that isn't our way." She explained giving him an inquisitive frown. The king smiled right back at her.

"Very good Midna. Your quite good at picking those subtleties up." He said, stroking his long beard. "In truth, I've employed spies to watch him. I've known of things about him long before I called you on his student's death. I merely needed someone to take care of a potentially dangerous wizard." Midna took a second to process that. She had never heard of a 'spy' in the kingdom, mainly because it wasn't ever needed.  
"Tell me what your angle is. What is it about Majora that makes him so dangerous?" She asked.

"His ideas." He began to say. "He has dangerous thoughts, Midna. Thoughts far too dangerous for a twili. I will admit, he has the most gifted mind in our realm, but he is pushing the boundary too far for my taste. My spies have picked up on several disturbing things he has been up too…"

"Such as?" Midna asked.

"He has been working on portholes, large scale porthole. I think he might try to escape into the forbidden realms, or worse. If he were to escape into the goddess's world, we would all be punished for it. Our entire race would suffer for his ambitions." He said. "Also, he has rebuilt a particularly dangerous artifact. This artifact in particular has been keeping me from rest for a long time. With his powerful magical skills, he has reformed one our oldest weapons…and one of our most dangerous creations." Midna gasped suddenly.

"A fused shadow?!" She whispered.

"Yes indeed…with a fused shadow, he could do unspeakable things as I'm sure you know. He could overthrow this world, he could kill thousands on a whim. He is crazy enough to do it." Midna shook her head, refusing to believe it was that simple.

"Why would he use a fused shadow to wipe out his own home? It's too ludicrous, even for him." She said. The king sighed with a look of pain in his eyes.

"You should know why he would Midna…" he said, implying something much deeper in his words. Midna was taken aback by that comment, knowing exactly what he was saying.

"Your highness…you know I'm not like that." She said, struggling to defend herself against such an accusation.

"Yes yes I know I can trust you Midna. But think of it. Like you, Majora is an undiluted descendant of the Dark interlopers. It's evident by how both of your bodies are shaped. As you know the undiluted descendants retain most of their original physical qualities, and some of the original mental qualities too. The bitterness of the dark interlopers still exists within the two of you. I'm sure you of all people can understand Majora's mentality. He is greedy. He wants everything and anything. He wears his emotions on his sleeve, and can extract them from others." He explained. Midna looked away from the king. She grew up with that prejudice over the years. In twili culture the rare amount of undiluted were treated with distrust because of their ambitious emotions. Somehow Midna had been proven trustworthy, but it was not easy. She had spent many years talking to and serving the right people to gain the position she had now. She regardlessly was still considered 'emotional' by her people, and it wasn't always a good thing.

"I want that fused shadow locked away before he can use it on something. And I want him out of here, Midna. He wouldn't have reformed it if he didn't have something dastardly planned. I want to get him before he gets us, understand?"

"My lord, I refuse to murder. Murder is not my way. I will find an alternative to this if you so demand it." She said. The king smiled and nodded at her.

"I knew I could trust you Midna. This has all become so complex, and I had to carefully coordinate it. The reason I didn't specify was because Zant-"

"WHY couldn't you tell Zant anyway?" She demanded. "Zant is just as capable as I am, if not more."

"Zant doesn't pick up on subtleties. Certainly he is smart, but when it comes to people problems he is too straightforward. If he knew we were looking for a Fused Shadow, he might come right out and say it to his face. Then Majora would be cornered into using the power for whatever he was planning right away. Zant is a useful tool, but he will never be king like he so wants to be. He is too forthcoming and he doesn't strategically plan enough. Besides…he's so unpleasant with all his bookishness…"

"So you kept information from him and risked him being harmed by a maniac?!" She barked. "And you degraded him for not knowing your secret plan?! Do you even realize all he does for you?!" The king stood up, towering over her.

"I don't like your tone Midna! Remember your place!! I am allowed to favor whoever I please." Midna stared straight back at him, unphased.

"I remember my lord. But let it be known, he would be a much better king than I. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some real work to do now, protecting your kingdom." With that, Midna stomped out of the room, leaving the exasperated king by himself. He sat back down with an unpleasant thud. This little tiff wouldn't matter. All he wanted was the fused shadow, and with Midna now on the job he would soon have it.

Zant would find nothing in Majora's tower by that time. When he had arrived it was completely deserted. All of Majora's projects and trappings were completely gone, save for his clock. It had been taken apart, all the gears and pieces placed around the room in an ornate pattern. Majora was not stupid, he had foreseen that the king would find out about his special project. He had recovered fragments of the artifact and resculpted it, adding a likeness of his eye on the right side to demonstrate how it rightfully belonged to him. As soon as he had driven off Zant, he disposed of what he didn't need, and took off. He was lurking in the shadows now, waiting and watching.

In the meantime, Midna was off at the secluded temple, the only remaining link between the shadow realm and the goddess's realm. She spent hours kneeling in front of the mirror like altar, praying to the three in hope that they would offer their help. She prayed for them to present a solution to this problem she faced. Majora needed to leave the realm without being murdered. She knew that he would not be allowed in the sacred realm and crossed out the idea of murdering him, thus she was out of ideas. From time to time, twili people would visit her, offering food or comfort. It was rare that anyone prayed at the temple, and most of them were drawn by a strange curiosity that they usually did not feel. Due to the fact that it was Midna of all people praying, they took an uncharacteristic interest in it. Midna did not mind the company as she greatly enjoyed the company of her people. While Majora thought they were lazy, Midna appreciated their easy lifestyle. They were not so lazy as much as they were contented.

"Lady Midna!" A small twili child called, tugging her robe while she prayed. "Will you come to the Gathering and see us?"

"Of course I will. I come every year, don't I?" She assured, patting his head. "I wouldn't miss it for the world!" The twili's child mother came rushing in to wrangle her boy away from distracting Midna.

"Come here! Your bothering Lady Midna." The boys pale mother instructed. The boy giggled and ran back to her. The woman smiled at Midna.

"You are good to us Lady Midna. We do not show our gratitude enough, but your contributions don't go unnoticed." She said. Midna nodded.

"I need nothing in return. I am privileged to serve my people. Your well being is enough for me." She replied with a smile.

Midna prayed and focused for a long time, while the hours ticked away towards the Gathering. She had made a breakthrough and established a small contact with the goddesses after a while, and presented her problem to them through telepathy. She could only hope that they would care for their plight enough to help. After all it was her understanding that the goddesses detested the twili realm, and help from them would be little more than a miracle. Much to her surprise, they freely conversed with her without prejudice or hatred present in their ethereal voices. The three told her they understood her problem very well, as it mirrored their own problem long ago with the Dark Interlopers. Majora was an all too real reminder of the greed the Hylian realm harbored.

While she waited for their reply, she was unexpectedly visited by another. In a split second she felt arms wrap around her shoulders in a tight grip, and slow breathing down her neck that made her shiver uncontrollably.

"My my Midna…here all by yourself?" Majora asked, talking seductively in her ear. "That's dangerous for someone as short as you are…" Midna curled her hands into fists, and violently blasted Majora backward with a release of dark twili magic. He flew into a wall and crumpled onto his face, hitting the floor unceremoniously. Midna shuddered in disgust, brushing strands of hair out of her face.

"You don't get to touch me, you lecherous freak!" She shouted. Majora laughed into the floor. He curled up onto his knees while laughing rambunctiously. The force of his fall had broken and twisted his nose.

"You have a little temper, don't you?" He said. He seized his nose, and suddenly twisted it back into place with a sharp snap. Midna shuddered at the sight, looking away with a sigh of disgust. "You don't like me touching you then? I suppose that duty goes toward your good friend Zant, right?" He giggled ferociously. Midna seemed rather embarrassed by the comment, choosing not to address it at all.

"Don't ever touch me again Majora." She demanded. She took a defensive stance. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh…I'm checking up on my two little dogs. I hear that the king wants something of mine. He wants my newly forged Fused Shadow." He said matter of factly, standing up on his feet. Midna narrowed her eyes at him.

"How do you know so much? We only had that meeting recently." she asked. Majora laughed and walked behind a pillar, coming through the other side holding a dead twili body. It looked like his back had been snapped right in half. Majora held the twisted body in one hand.

"The kings spies are quite the squealers…I've been beating information out of them for a long time. I have no more use for them though…" He said, dropping it at her feet. He knew very well that it would upset her. Midna stepped away from the lifeless, expressionless body, holding a hand over her mouth in disgust.

"You've never seen a dead body before, have you?" Majora asked casually. "Its certainly a life changing thing. In Hyrule, people die frequently. Their lives are short and glorious."

"You……you murdered them?" She asked in disbelief.

"15 spies under the kings employ. Death is part of life too, Midna." He said, the humor disappearing from his voice suddenly. "Things are about to change in this realm, I just thought a trend setter like yourself should know. People here will appreciate how short life can be." Midna's eyes flared in disgust as she suddenly turned offensive and attempted to attack him with her magic at that point. Midna had heard enough of his talk. 16 innocent people were dead by his hand and influence, and she wasn't about to let him get away with more. She let out an enraged shout as she gave it all to hit him with one good strike. A vibrant blue explosion occurred where Majora stood. When it cleared he was gone; she had missed. Majora was too fast and sporadic. His eyes could read movement nearly two seconds before it happened. Suddenly Midna herself was hit by an offensive blast of magic, one that knocked her backward into the altar. She crashed against her back and hip, the impact feeling numbingly painful. She hit the floor and rolled over clutching her side in pain, when her eyes made contact with the dead spy still laying there on the floor. The color had vanished from his eyes, it was like looking into glass. She could feel her heart speed up at the sight while hearing Majora's chuckle echoing towards her. She gritted her teeth and looked up, seeing his bright eyes approaching in the dim temple.

"That's very cute Midna." He said with a sneer. "Your far less agreeable than Zant…at least he aspires to be something. You on the other hand have been infected by this twilight and its people. It's made you incredibly soft." Midna stood up, still throbbing in pain.

"Your insane. Nothing more. The only one infected is you, with these stupid little child plans you make up. Your problem is your just bored, and your mad. Grow up." She replied defiantly. Majora's chuckle stopped, and he suddenly grabbed her face with one hand. He lifted her off her feet and squeezed down, a deep glare appearing. Midna struggled and thrashed violently.

"Insane?! You fool, I'm the ONLY one here who is sane!!! I'm the only one who realizes how futile and beautiful life is!!! I'm the only ONLY one who wants! Wanting is the most glorious feeling ever!!" He shouted with gusto, applying pressure while Midna let out a pained shout. "You want this fused shadow I have? It belongs to me rightfully, not you diluted fools! I will use it to get everything I want. And I want everything!" Majora released his hand and dropped her. Midna had bruises on her face and was still in pain, but she refused to let him get the best of her. She stood right back up again.

"You want too much then, Majora." She said, rubbing her chin. "I find that life is much more satisfying when you want for nothing…that way when you finally get something its twice as satisfying. And you also forget that the fused shadow also belongs rightfully to me as well…" She grinned. "So why don't you be a good boy and share? Your too immature to handle such a big power."

"You wretch! I'm older than you! How dare you!" He thundered while stomping his foot down. "And it belongs to the descendants of the Interlopers! Descendants of both body and mind. While I admit you have the body, your mind is diluted!"

"I enjoy my life here, so I'm diluted?" She asked. She laughed in his face. "You're a pitifully sad creature Majora. You hate yourself and everyone around you, so the only solution in your pitiful little head is to make everyone else as miserable as you are. That's what it really is, isn't it? You tried to transfer this little loathing binge on Zant too, I can tell. Your not that hard to figure out." Majora growled and stomped his feet childishly.

"No no no!! I' am a genius!! My ideas are LEGENDARY!!!" He bellowed, his voice becoming a piercing shriek. It was apparent that there was much more wrong with this sorcerer than he let on. In split seconds his voice and attitude could change.

"This twilight is too beautiful for a dark soul like yours Majora. You don't have any place here anymore." She said. Suddenly Majora stopped stomping. He looked up at her with his burning eyes, gritting his teeth.

"This twilight belongs to nobody. You forget that it's a prison. But not to worry…" He said, with a devious snicker overtaking his voice. "Very soon the twilight will be illuminated with the golden power…just wait!" He turned to leave at that point with no more to say.

"Wait…what do you mean?" She asked. "What is that supposed to mean?!!" But Majora was gone. He disappeared just as quickly as he came, leaving Midna was an impending sense of doom.

The search for Majora went on feverishly as the rest of the kings spies turned up dead, mauled in various horrific ways. Majora had an eye for pain, and made sure no two corpse was mauled the same way. He was playing games with them, showing the twili how fragile the body and mind truly were. The king was wise to hide these deaths very well no matter how public Majora attempted to make them be. Zant would usually catch the blame for the deaths, and Midna would always come to his rescue. Midna went to listen in the temple day after day, and received no reply. Finally, on the day of the Gathering, she was granted a solution by the goddesses, and given a special ability. Now all she had to do was find Majora. She needed more time to find him though.

The Gathering consisted of the twili population meeting in the center square of the royal area. There was a hefty amount of conversation and storytelling, mixed with a few recreational activities. The twili people loved conversation and the festival was there chance to catch up with people they had not seen for a long time. Some of the activities that other more energetic twilis partook in were sculpting and magic based contests. They could sculpt ornate looking things out of stone in a matter of minutes, and they prided themselves on their architectural mastery. The twili people glowed brightly in happiness during this time. The king strangely never came to these Gatherings, he only watched from his tower. In the meantime, Midna paced among the crowds watching for something suspicious. Zant also came to the Gathering, but stood to the side most of the time, keeping an eye on the people who had no idea they were in danger. He too was looking for Majora among the crowd. He too could sense something was amiss. Midna eventually joined him after a few hours, looking disheartened.

"Zant…I'm worried." She said with fatigue in her voice. She tiredly leaned her head on his shoulder. "Majora has been silent for the past three days. No bodies, no ambushes, nothing. He's up to something." Zant kept his eyes forward, but reassured her.

"We are both here protecting our people diligently. If he shows up, he'll regret it." Midna was still worried. Zant was still unaware of what Majora had in his possession. If he chose to use it, not even their combined power could best him.

"He has a secret weapon though Zant…he hasn't played his trump yet. I fear he'll target the innocent…" Zant lowered his eyes in worry. He was trying his hardest to appear strong for his friend, but it was becoming increasingly difficult. Midna stood up straight again, and scanned the crowd. Nothing unusual yet.

"So, Midna…..you and Majora have some kind of history?" Zant asked. "You seemed really adamant about avoiding him….care to explain it?" Midna rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"We're from the same clan…" she muttered.

"So you two are family then?"

"DISTANT family." She huffed. Zant nodded and was silent for a moment. He glanced at her after a while.

"But that's not it, right?" Midna took in an extended breath. Recalling the memories alone made her feel uncomfortable and awkward.

"Well, when I first was appointed here, he stalked me a bit. I would find him waiting for me around corners and leaving me creepy little gifts in my chambers…" She explained. "He was very good at aggravating me. He might have had some kind of bizarre interest in me, regardless of our kinship."

"So what made him stop?"

"I threatened to maim him next time he upset me. He stopped after that. Maybe he lost interest…I don't know." Zant nodded.

"I see…" Zant said, and became silent. Midna knew what his angle was though, he was terrible at trying to be deceptive. Midna looked over and gave him an ornery grin. Before anything else was said, they were alerted by some of the crowd pointing up at a tower. As expected, Majora was standing on top of the tower, giving some heartfelt speech. People were unaware that Majora was wanted, they were simply amazed to see him out in the open for once. No one could really hear the speech he was giving, as it was too far away. On cue, Zant and Midna started making their way up to the tower as quickly as they could. The people of the realm had no idea they were in danger. Midna was determined to get at Majora as quick as she could, and sped up beyond Zant.

"Midna! Wait a second!!" He called out, trying to keep up. Midna would have none of it. As they got closer, more of his theatrical speech could be heard.

"Burn away the darkness that the whoreish goddesses have infected us with!! Gaze upon the sun that we are entitled too!! Look upon the moon that gives us wonder!!! Want everything!!! CONSUME EVERYTHING!!"

"Majora!!!" Midna shouted when she came in range. Majora looked down at her, his eyes burning brightly. He was not about to let anything get in his way. He snarled at her, showing off his prized fused shadow which he held in his left hand. He held it above his head and began chanting quickly. Midna gasped, and started racing toward him ready to attack. Whatever he was doing, it wasn't good. This is exactly what they were afraid of, but they had no other enforcers in the realm. They had no way to prepare for it. Suddenly, the artifact glowed brightly and shot a ray into the air. A giant porthole opened above them, revealing something they had never seen before. The sun shone through the porthole, down upon the world of twilight, bringing blinding lights with it.

"Its beautiful!!!" Majora exclaimed, his eyes illuminated by it. Midna and Zant were next to the ray that came down. Zant cried out covering his eyes which watered furiously. He clung unto the side of the tower like an insect, burying his face in the stone to shield himself from the rays. He couldn't look upon the rays that shown down as they hurt his eyes tremendously. The twilight sky around the porthole burnt to pitch black, and burned brightly on the festival below.

The citizens below had no idea what was going on. The citizens in direct contact with the ray looked up for a few moments. The sun was too much for the shadowy people to handle, and their eyes sizzled and bubbled right out of their heads in mere seconds. Screams of horror echoed throughout the kingdom, cries more terrible than Midna could imagine. The rays of sun burnt the citizens and set their skin ablaze. They quickly scorched up until nothing but blackened bones ran a few steps before collapsing. Twili's scrambled over each other to get out of the way, trampling over each other to escape. Smaller twilis died in the scramble, being crushed to death by their friends. Midna forgot all about Majora watching this, and Zant could only hear the screams. Majora himself looked down on what he accomplished, looking as shocked as Midna did. He had no idea this is what would happen.

"Wha…they're…dying?" He said to himself. He looked absolutely horrified for a moment, before he started to laugh. He started gut laughing until his sides hurt, laughing through his tears.

"Not a very good festival, was it?!" He cried out. "I should have known, they don't deserve the sun…" The porthole suddenly closed, leaving the twilight free to spread across the sky again. As soon as it cleared, he was gone. Cries of suffering arose from the square below, and Midna instinctively went to her people. They had no guards, so Zant alone went to search for Majora as soon as his vision cleared back up.

Midna went from person to person, trying her best to heal the wounded. Many people started dying of their wounds and burns while moaning her name. She frantically went from person to person, trying to help them as quickly as she could, but sometimes it wasn't enough. Her heart weighed heavy at seeing all the needless suffering. They would crowd her sometimes, the smell of burnt flesh invading her senses until she coughed and gagged. Hundreds were dead, and hundreds more were still dying and she had no help as no other twili was skilled in advanced healing like she was. On the seventh hour of healing, she encountered a half burnt skeleton holding a smaller one. She held her heart for a moment while looking at it, grief taking over her face. This was most likely the mother and child she had met while in the temple. In a split second their lives were ended by a psychopath wishing to prove a point. During this time, the king was nowhere to be found. He had gone into hiding, fearing for his own life instead of his peoples.

Midna spent a day healing all the wounded, and blessing the dead. She felt entirely numb walking away from the carnage, the stench of the dead still within her. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the looks of horror in her people's faces. She heard the screams and moans in her head constantly. Zant searched high and low for Majora, fueled by absolute rage this time. He would find nothing once again, save for a note left in Majora's tower. His clock was rebuilt mysteriously, and the note specified that they should come for Majora in the gardens at the end of the clocks day at midnight. Zant urgently went to find Midna, and discovered her in the castles courtyard by herself. She sobbed deeply at the horrors she saw, shedding tears of grief. Normally she was too proud to cry at all but it was all too much to bear. The realm would never be the same again, peace was shattered entirely. Zant approached slowly, not wanting to upset her more.

"I found this note…" He said quietly. "He wants us to meet him at the end of his clocks cycle in the garden…I think it's a challenge…" Midna sniffed and whipped tears from her eyes.

"Death would be too good for a coward like him…" she growled.

"We have no choice now…we have to do something." He said. "The king is hiding. We are essentially in charge. He murdered hundreds, he deserves to die." Midna looked up at Zant, a sadistic expression mingling with the sadness.

"I have found a better fate for Majora…the goddesses have granted me permission to seal him in the realm of the faithless…" Zant quirked an eyebrow. He had never heard of this place before.

"He will be cast into the eternally doomed land where the souls of the faithless go. A forgotten realm called 'Termina'".

(Stay tuned for Ch. 3)


	3. Chapter 3

Tale of a Moon Monger

Chapter 3

Zant and Midna waited in Majora's tower, watching his clock tick away until the midnight hour. Midna sat on the floor watching it with devilish intent in her eyes. She had never been this angry and distressed in her entire life. What she saw and experienced would not leave her mind for a moment. It constantly tore away at her, nagging her every waking moment. While she stewed in front of the clock, Zant quickly paced the room fervently, repeatedly going over the strategy plan in his head. They were going to subdue Majora, open this alleged porthole to Termina, and throw him in. It wouldn't be easy with his power being so chaotic and potent. Zant was unsure on how effective the plan would be when it all came down to it actually. He simply wanted to kill Majora and punish him for the mass murder he had just committed. It was only a day later and people were still dying of burn wounds or trauma from being trampled. Children were separated from their mothers, entire families were lost. It was the single greatest tragedy the Twili world had faced, and they weren't going to repay the culprit in force? Midna assured Zant before that his punishment would be worse than death.

"Tell me…what is so terrible about this Termina place? How would this punish Majora at all? It sounds no different than Hyrule…" He asked. Midna turned herself in his direction, still sitting on the floor.

"This is what the goddesses have shown me. Termina used to be a world next to Hyrule or attached to it or something and it happened to be our ancestor's home. They rejected the Goddesses with science and magic, creating their own existence without the help of the golden power. This offended the goddesses, but they let it be for a while. Then our ancestors, the Interlopers, developed the Fused Shadow and used its powers to build a mighty tower that would stretch to the heavens…"

"What did they hope to accomplish with this tower?"

"It was a monument mostly…a giant phallace to rise up at the three. It was covered with anti-goddess symbolism. Inverted triforces, a ghastly depiction of the goddesses, sculptures representing the interloper's greatest creations, things like that. But they also intended to build it towards the heavens, and use their powers to cast the goddesses down…in result; the goddesses turned their world upside-down, so they instead built the tower towards the underworld. Basically what they said without the symbolism, the interlopers were too dangerous and were sealed away. You know the rest of the story. But Termina became a mock Hyrule, sealed off in a different alternate realm, devoid of the golden power or the power of the three. The goddesses cast the souls of the unfaithful to live in Termina, not as punishment, but as a lesson or to keep them out of the way. Something like that. Instead of the goddesses, four guardians watch over the people to make sure Termina keeps running smoothly."

"I see…our old home has become the underworld…we should consider ourselves lucky here in the twilight…" Zant said. "What do these Terminan's look like?"

"Well that's another interesting thing. As a mean joke, most of them take the form of a Hylian…they mirror the souls in the real Hylian realm." She explained. "Except for a few I suppose. Termina has the same weather, greenery, and wildlife as Hyrule." Zant blinked. It didn't sound like much of a punishment.

"So he's going to live in a mirror Hyrule? I still don't understand the punishment. Doesn't he WANT that?" He asked skeptically.

"Termina is different. It is peaceful and serene at first glance, but it's not all correct. It's…off, something's wrong. There is an underlying and impending feeling of doom and hopelessness there. The people are always inwardly urged to work and get things done, but their work never seems to end. Food, drink, company, it never seems to be completely enough. They are perpetually worried… they have no faith in anything. The races of Termina are widespread and distant from each other, and will not accept or help anyone who is not of their kind. Majora will be alone there, a mere shadow of what he used to be. He will roam the land with no purpose and no love for eternity. His powers won't be able to physically manifest in their world, so he will be powerless. What's more, he will be constantly reminded of what our ancestors lost in their greed, never being able to touch it or use it. He will drive himself to madness, and he will wish that we had killed him." She explained bitterly.

"I see…a fitting punishment for the lunatic." He said with a nod of approval. "Only one hour until we go and find him." The two were quiet after the realization hit them. Zant was a bit worried about the encounter. Majora just murdered hundreds, possibly thousands. How were the two of them to stand up to him? He desperately tried to make conversation to keep his mind at ease.

"So the interlopers developed the Fused Shadows? I've never seen one before, I've only heard of it." He said.

"Yes…it amplifies power tenfold. They say it has enough power to overcome the goddesses themselves…I've heard legends of it even transforming the physical body." She replied to him. She noticed a brief glint of wonder in Zants eye when describing it. "They are all gone now though, probably lying in pieces in Termina."

"Wouldn't it be wonderful to find one intact though? Think of what we could use it for. Maybe we could resurrect the dead, build more land, and discover more in the realm…" He smiled a bit. Midna hushed him.

"Zant, they were dark tools that got us landed here in the first place. I doubt they could be used for good. You shouldn't trouble yourself over it."

"I suppose your right…" He said. Midna turned back around to look at the clock. She didn't want to tell Zant about the Fused Shadow Majora had. For one, knowing that he had such a hysterical power source at his command would do nothing but further lower Zants morale. But secondly, that one small glint in Zants eye made her worried. Zant had never shown a desire for power before, at least up till that very moment. There was an eerie silence that pervaded the room after that. Midna could only hear the ticking of the clock, and what seemed like extended echoes of the suffering. Again, her mind was drawn to the mother and child skeleton.

"I have never seen the sun before…its terrifying." Zant said in a hushed whisper, attempting to break the threatening silence.

"It is…" Midna replied mournfully. Zant gazed down at her while she was busy staring at the clock. He began to realize WHY the people had loved her so much. She was a rallying force, a unifying voice. While their own king was hiding from Majora, she was the one looking in their dying faces, like a leader would. Zant was silently upset. He would never be able to achieve such renown; he was not brave enough to face his people. He was constantly nervous around them. He felt an endless stream of judgment coming from the dark citizens, yet he knew in his head it was all just his imagination. Regardless, he couldn't help but feel like the entire population was watching and waiting to see him fail. It was a crushing and isolating feeling, and it was terribly ironic that his so called rival was arguably his only real friend. Before Zant knew it, he was looking her in the face. He had been caught staring, an embarrassing predicament.

"See anything you like?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow. Zant broke off and paced even faster than before, obviously flustered.

"n-no! I'm just fatigued! I'm sorry; I stare when I'm tired." He assured, his usually deep voice going up an octave. Midna laughed, smiling for the first time in a while.

"I don't mind. I never have." She said casually, turning back around to face the clock. Zant faced the opposite direction, trying to find out the meaning behind those words. Before either of them knew it, midnight had chimed on the clock. The clocks ring made an ominous sound, echoing deep into their hearts. It symbolized what could possibly be their finest hour, or their last. They both took on looks of determination, and left for the gardens.

The two entered the silent stone gardens, expecting Majora to be waiting for them. He was nowhere in sight. All that waited for them was an incredibly vast darkened stone arena filled with ominous shapes and sounds, a perfect hiding place for a lunatic. In the place of plants that would normally fill a garden, large towering statues and carvings of gleaming obsidian took the place of flowers. Any of these things could easily be Majora, stalking them from the shadows. They glanced nervously around, immediately taking defensive stances.

"I should have known, he's going to ambush us I bet…." Midna whispered. Zant had no reply, but nodded his head. He was trying to play with them. The vast garden had plenty of places for a madman to hide, and he was determined to make it as difficult as possible. Any shift in sound or sight made Zant instantly turn to it with accusing eyes. Midna could feel his paranoia and anxiety burning at that point.

"Stay calm…" She whispered to him, glancing briefly in his direction. She had never seen him so tense. The attack on the public obviously had scared more than he let on. In silence they both waited for what seemed to be an eternity, until a slight sound alerted them. The hushed air was burned away by a ringing noise that grew louder and louder by the second. Midna and Zant were alerted by this, sensing that Majora's attack had finally come. They looked every direction at once trying to find where he was attacking from, but there was still no sign of him. From seemingly out of nowhere, a condensed and thick ray of fiery light shot at them, burning through a stone carving Majora had been standing behind. The ray made a terrifying burning noise, and grew brighter as it had stretched towards them. Zant and Midna quickly leapt to their respective sides to avoid it. Zant had scrambled far away from the shot, getting distance from where it had hit and exploded. The light that radiated off of it was painfully bright, almost unbearably so for him to handle. Midna had kept her ground after avoiding it, sensing that it was meant to cause confusion instead of damage. Majora had opened a miniature porthole to the sun to attack them with, which had also temporarily blinded them. Midna's eyes watered as she quickly tried to regain her sight. She heard Zant's nervous scrambling from where he had ended up, while he was madly casting spells to try and blindly hit his foe. Majora was trying to scare and separate them, as evidence from the sinister giggle that followed it.

"Tag! Tag!" A chirpy voice giggled from all around. "Good guys and bad guys!!!"  
Midna's eyesight blurred back into vision and she prepared for a second attack. Majora was gone again, and Zant was now on the opposing side of the garden.  
"Zant! Stay close!" She hissed as his eyesight came back as well. Zant looked around, and nodded. Before she could think anything else, she was struck by an erratic blast of magic. She felt like she had been punched in the chest, and was knocked off her feet. The back of her head hit the hard ground and would have hurt tremendously if she hadn't been strengthened by her anger. She was merely angry that he got the first hit on her again, so the pain in the back of her skull seemed secondary to her revenge. She immediately shot back to her feet, to see Majora dueling with Zant across the garden. Zant had been quick to defend her from Majora's assault, and he was aggressively dealing with the deranged sorcerer. Majora was literally warping from spot to spot, attempting to surprise Zant with his quickness. Zant himself was propelled by some mindless pure anger, anger that Midna had never seen before. Majora would cast curses and spells and attacks at Zant, and he would counter them and deflect them with energy and vigor. The hating lustful look on Zants face could burn through stone much like Majora had just done. There seemed to be no taking Zant off guard at this point, regardless of the endless array of colorful magic attacks. Majora was more displeased at this unexpected turn as time went on in the duel.

"NO you're playing it wrong!!" He thundered while hurtling black magic at him. "This is not how you play hide and seek!"  
Zant didn't respond, he kept returning attacks with surging hatred in his eyes. Midna was poised and ready to step in just in case, but Zant was actually handling himself very well. Midna thought to herself that it shouldn't be surprising, Zant definitely was a better magic user of the two of them after all, possibly on par with Majora himself. Sometimes people forgot just how powerful Zant really was, being so high-strung most of the time Majora's patience was wearing thin. He obviously expected to have overpowered Zant by now, and Zant was proving to be quite a problem. Majora screeched with confusion as Zant stopped a burning orb right in its tracks, before casually tossing it aside at a statue. Zant grinned an arrogant smile at Majora, and one viewing the battle would think that Zant was the murderer and Majora the defender. Majora screamed in incoherent rage and tore at his own hair in frustration.

"YOU'RE NOT STRONGER THAN ME!!! DAMN YOU!" He hollered, opening another small porthole. The fiery blinding beam shot towards Zant like before. Midna didn't see what happened after that because it was too bright to watch. All she heard was the same loud burning noise as it covered the battleground Majora and Zant were fighting on, and a sickening crack following it. For a moment she feared the worse. After her sights regained, she saw fragments of Zants robes lying where he used to be standing. But her fears quelled quickly as she saw Zant (now without his outer layer of robes), standing on a statue with his hand outstretched. Majora was now crumbled on a statue himself, his spine bent backward over it. The lanky sorcerer did not move, only twitched with his bright eyes transfixed and distant. Zant still looked very proud of himself over his first real kill. Midna sighed and stepped towards the sight with bitterness. She was a bit angry that she had no hand in finishing this fight, she still wanted to pay Majora back for what he did. His ending was too quick, not enough flash or payback. Zant had also deviated from their original plan to seal him away. He had shown his abilities but was acting very arrogant and proud of his fight, regardless of its result. Midna was not sure she liked this side of Zant. She never thought he'd be capable of killing.

"Are you proud of yourself?" She asked sarcastically. Zant looked down at her with a smile that almost made her sick, his eyes pleading for compliments or admiration.

"I am." He said. "He deserved death, not some convoluted prison…this was the right thing to do." His voice now seemed an octave lower than it usually did.

"You know, you're no better than he is. Killing doesn't justify killing. Murder is still murder no matter how you see it." She replied with an accusing tone, giving him a stern look. Zant looked down at her as his haunting smile slowly melted into what looked like anger mixed with disbelief.

"What?" He incredulously asked as his fist began shaking. "No better than he is?! I-I can't believe this!" He suddenly leapt down from his perch and violently seized her by the shoulders. Midna had forgotten how tall he really was until he was looming over her with fire in his eyes.

"I' am a hero!!!! I killed a sorcerer who murdered HUNDREDS!!! I brought him to justice damn it!!! YOU'RE ALWAYS UNDERMINING MY ACCOMPLISHMENTS!! YOU DON'T WANT ME TO HAVE WHAT I WANT!!" He shouted, his face inches from hers. The force of his advance had completely knocked her headpiece off, strands of errant red hair hanging lazily down. Midna was too shocked to even shout back. His grip dug into her shoulders until she thought he might draw blood. Zant must have seen her shocked face because he stopped very suddenly, and backed away in shame. Midna stood up straight and adjusted herself calmly.

"That's not what I meant, Zant…I'm not trying to attack you." She explained. Zant turned away and buried his face in his hands. "Zant…I-"  
Midna had just noticed while looking his way that Majora's body was gone. She gasped, and pointed as Zant caught wise. The two immediately started scouting again, forgetting what had just happened. They broke off and started searching the premise, leaving no corner unchecked. They were propelled by adrenaline instead of fear now, sensing that the hard part of the battle had just been fought. Midna searched quickly and intently. She wanted to have HER chance to hurt him now. She wouldn't make it as quick as Zant would, she was prepared to torture him before sending him on his way. Fire pulsed through her veins, remembering the hefty amount of needless death. The smell, the unwelcoming putrid smell of burnt people still clung to her clothing. The mother and child skeleton, cradled in each other's arms, was a sight she could not stop seeing every time she closed her eyes.

"I know your there, freak…" She hissed. A giggle answered her.

"I know YOUR there!" He replied. Midna sighed in disgust. He was acting like a little child now. Midna was sure that Majora had lost his mind, and was acting almost irrationally. He was of almost bipolar demeanor now, treating this attack as some sort of game. She had seen Majora's reaction to his massacre, horror mixed with laughter. It must have done something drastic to his already fragile psyche. Occasionally she would see him run from hiding place to hiding place, humming tunes as he did. She was never quick enough to hit him with a blast of magic between them. Every miss she experienced, he roared with taunting laughter.  
Zant was on the opposite side of the garden searching, still feeding off his indirect anger. He was still inconsolably frustrated and he didn't know why. His arms shook with fury, his eyes welled with tears and his teeth gritted at what had just happened. He was certain he had finished Majora, bested him with his disciplined magic skills. For a brief moment he had done what Midna could not do, and was shocked that she wasn't humbled by his strength. The perverse image of terrible and beautiful Midna laughing at him with disgusting delight wouldn't leave his mind.

"Nothing I do is good enough…" He mumbled, clenching his fist. He turned a corner behind a statue and was face to face with a strange black sculpture, wielding the same eyes as the person holding it. Majora was standing there, holding his fused shadow in Zants face, chiding him with it.

"Hello again Zant…." He said with a smile, as he pressed the shadow to his opposing hand. Before Zant's eyes, it began to transform rapidly. Zant tried to attack Majora dead on, but the attack was suppressed by Majora's new growth. A long muscular tentacle like appendage had sprouted from his arm, and wrapped around Zants body, preventing him from finishing his attack. Zant tried to shout for help, but Majora put his large hand over Zant's mouth. For a moment he stared into Zant's with a disturbing look of longing in his own eyes. He was completely silent, the only sounds coming from his slow exhaling.

"I LET you do that you know…..hit me and break my poor body…" He said, with a sneer. Zant struggled with anger, his voice muffled and angry. "I wanted to show you something. I wanted to show how strong you can be when you go with what you want and how you feel." Zant shot a look of hatred towards Majora's large glowing eyes. Majora's sexually suggestive tone caused Zant a great deal of discomfort.

"DON'T give me that look!!" He snapped, crushing down on Zant with his new growth. Zant attempted to let out a pained cry, but Majora still kept his hand over his face. "You know I'm right--look at how strong you were for the glorious moment! You were assertive, you had pride in yourself, and you acted like a LEADER!" He said. Zant's gaze softened, and he stopped struggling. Majora took his hand off of him, knowing that he had gotten through to him.

"You know I'm right Zant…I'm always right." He hissed. "In that moment you were assertive, you had it all if not briefly. Pride, power, you even had the thing you want the most…"

"Shut up…" Zant said under his breath, averting his gaze. Majora held the Fused Shadow in his gnarled half hand, torn apart by the muscled growth now wrapped around Zant. He recalled Midna talking about it transforming the body. She had been correct, but had not mentioned the incredibly monstrous results. To warp the body while keeping it functional was very difficult, even WITH magic. There was no doubt about the massive power housed within the strange stony mask-like object. Zant had figured that the Fused Shadow had saved Majora from death when broken upon the statue not a few minutes earlier. THIS was how Majora obtained the power to open a massive porthole, this is what he had been working on so laboriously. The tool of their ancestors still held unspeakable power. Zant found himself staring again, and Majora knew it.

"It's not healthy to bottle all of this up, Zant…look at how you lost your temper, and on your friend too." Majora said with a quaint smile. His eyes burned, piercing right into Zant's mind. It seemed to play with his head, showing him images manifesting in his worst fears.

"I can smell the madness inside of you Zant…I can almost taste your rage, boiling underneath a mountain of restraint. Do you see this? I know you do, you're staring at it." He said, motioning to the Fused Shadow in the mangled fingers of his half hand. "I restored this myself, and it's given me what I wanted. This is power that everyone feared, including the goddesses. A smart mind such as yourself should know that fear is born from a lack of understanding and wisdom. I bet Midna told you it was dangerous as well. She only says that because she is shallow and superficial. She's only afraid that something better than her will come along. They're all afraid of someone being better than them, but is that hardly news? The greatest powers and ideas of our time are always supressed by the bigots before they can take their rightful place in the world. They were afraid of US Zant. They're afraid of YOU!" He said with conviction in his voice. Majora honestly believed all of what he was saying.

"Shut up……." He repeated.

"If you really wanted me to shut up, you'd be alerting precious Midna to your predicament, right?" Majora taunted. "But for her to find out you've failed again, that would be worse wouldn't it? Oh, it would most certainly kill you! Her accusing stare, that pretty little body of hers…"

"Shut up!" He said with tenacity, starting to struggle again. Majora's tentacle like growth squeezed harder. Majora laughed, but it was strained with pity.

"She's going to be in charge and you know it…you hate it and its killing you slowly. But you're too restrained to show it, having delusions of 'duty' and 'etiquette'. Your just avoiding your own problems in the end, you're too damn scared to face your own failures!! THIS is what the Twili-realm does to us! It forces us to forsake our deepest emotions, the desires that build us!" He said, his voice rising. Midna finally heard this conversation vaguely, and started rushing towards them.

"I'm coming! Hold on!!" She shouted, hastily hurrying to where the voices were coming from. The garden was all torn up, a shining black maze now. She had to navigate it quickly to find the two. Zant was now thrashing, trying to get away.

"Shut up shut up shut up!!!!!" He bellowed, trying to wrench away from his restraint. His usually low voice was becoming shriller. The pictures in his minds-eye were becoming very specific in his head.

"You want what she has and your pretending that you aren't! Yes, you want what she has, among OTHER things….." Majora snorted with hilarity and elation in his face, starting to break the now frantic Zant. He trembled with excitement while shouting in the face of the baffled and panicked Zant. "You're not the proper and polite celibate that you pretend you are Zant! You're a LIAR and a FILTHY CRETIN!!! You're SELFISH and SNEAKY and WEAK!!! YOU WANT EVERYTHING FOR YOURSELF!! You're JUST LIKE ME!! STOP PRETENDING!!" Majora's words echoed through Zants head and went straight for his heart. Zant finally broke down in pained sobs. Majora released him from his grasp, and he slumped down on his knees, tears pouring out of his face. The only sound coming from the two was Zant's muffled cries. For a small silence, Majora looked down at the trembling figure. A strained pity swept over his face, and he knelt beside him.

"You're hiding from your true self, that's all I wanted you to see. There is nothing more horrifying than denying yourself. You could have ANYTHING you wanted Zant, all it takes is a little initiative." Majora said, stroking Zant's hair from behind. Zant babbled at his feet between incoherent sobs. Tears poured down his face and pooled on the ground.

"Shh…." Majora cooed. "It's alright to be selfish…it's alright to have dirty thoughts. It's supposed to be natural, my young Zant. It's this place that has infected you with emotional restraint." Majora heard Midna's footsteps coming towards the sight quickly. They both were alerted to the quick patting sound coming towards them. The subject changed abruptly.

"You've been watching her steps for years now, I know it, and she knows it. She finds your desires funny, something to be laughed at Zant…are you going to allow your wants and needs to be mocked?" Zant sobbed more at his feet, clutching his ribs in pain. Majora stepped back as Midna rounded the corner. "Don't ever let anyone prevent you from getting what you want, Zant." He said, before disappearing between the statues.

"Zant!" Midna shouted, rushing towards him. She knelt beside him, trying to get his attention. She shook his quivering shoulders.

"What did he do to you? What did he do?! I'll kill him!" She shouted in an angry panic, putting a hand on his back to calm him. Zant swatted it away.

"_D-don't touch me_!!" He yelped, quickly scrambling away and huddling beneath another carving. Midna panted, watching him retreat into a fetal position. Not long before this moment, Zant was standing tall and proud. He was a pillar of foundation for the twili people, and herself. He didn't know it, but his usually calm demeanor and logical thinking was one of the corner stone's of their society. She left him alone with Majora for minutes, and he was reduced to the quivering mess she now saw huddled beneath a statue. Somehow, it was more horrifying to her than the deaths of the people. She knelt there for what seemed like an eternity, watching him shiver in utter panic and confusion. Zant's head was being attacked by emotional images that were forcing him to look upon his shortcomings and face his desolation, one of the perverse curses Majora could inflict on someone with his eyes alone. Zant was starting to think this is how Majora's apprentice came to kill himself, because at that moment Zant himself wanted simply to disappear forever. Midna could only watch helplessly as her friend suffered. Her gaze was broken by Majora again, this time offering a darkly sinister laugh instead of a girlish giggle. His low rumbling laughter would resemble the ominous promise of a thunderstorm to the Hylian people. Midna leapt to her feet again, and zipped off across the ruined garden with newfound determination. Zant wasn't going anywhere now, so he would be well out of harm's way.

"Majora!!! Show yourself you freak!!" She hollered, heaving spells at the various possible hiding spots he could've been hiding in. Dark shining debris spattered everywhere as she did. Finally a well placed shot propelled Majora straight in the air, and neatly onto another perch. He gave her a vicious smile, and the two immediately started dueling. Spells and explosive blasts of magic were flying everywhere, smacking into other statues and each other. A firework display of a battle ensued from the two of them. Majora's new appendage added a new dimension to the fighting as well. He moved very fast, and whipped the muscled growth at her whenever close enough. It became very clear that Midna could not keep up with Majora's strength with her own, especially since the Fused Shadow was amplifying his power. Midna might not have been as fluent with offensive magic as Zant or Majora, but she was certainly faster. Midna had a small plan in her head while she began avoiding his assaults. Majora did not know about his fate in Termina, he was expecting Midna to try and kill him. In his pride, Majora was attempting to finish her off as a display of strength. The more she evaded him, she would taunt him.

"Greatest sorcerer of the Twili? Don't make me laugh. You're just a malformed man-child." She would say, an ornery grin overtaking her face.

"That's not funny!!" Majora said, the fused shadow glowing. The device floated above him, and fastened itself over his head and face. His magic based attacks were fueled by it, becoming faster and more explosive as they flew at her. Midna was still faster, she knew that with his increased rage came a decrease in aim. She would already be on another angle as the attacks exploded, chiding Majora with small attacks that would merely sting.

"It's not even worth using powerful magic on a little boy…" She said, adding a yawn to further prove the point. Majora fumed, shooting more magic in her direction. Midna quickly zipped out of the way, merely gliding across the ground as if it were ice.

"STOP MOVING AROUND!!" He bellowed, trying desperately to hit her. He was exerting a great deal of power trying to silence her. The Fused Shadow required endurance to keep it going.

"You're always so intense about this kind of thing." She said, casually evading his diminishing attacks. "Is it because no one ever listened to your ideas? You never had any friends? Maybe it's because you're frightening to normal decent people. No one wants to play 'games' with you because your weird and incapable of compassion." Majora let out what sounded like a high pitched screech, sending his last big hurrah out at her. He released a large, burning explosion that Midna could not quite evade all the way. It swept her off her feet and flung her into the wreckage of a statue. Luckily, she was far enough away not to be severely harmed by it. The ground directly below Majora looked like it had been turned to dark glass.

"Bastard…." She hissed, getting back up out of the wreckage of the statue she hit. Once again, her pain was only secondary to what was immediately at hand. A sprained ankle was all she really had. She saw Majora lowering from the air onto the ground, for the fused shadow that he expected to be foolproof had drained him of his energy it seemed. His tentacle impotently stirred before lying limp in a coil beside its owner. Majora panted, barely having strength to stand on his feet. Midna limped towards him ominously, quietly chanting the preparation for the spell she was about to perform. The image of the now fragile Zant took place of the mother and child skeleton, fueling her anger. Majora lifted his ornate mask off of his head and for once looked worried, looking around for something to do. Unexpectedly, he summoned the energy to open another sunlit porthole to his side. He crushed his prized fused shadow, and threw the pieces in behind it. Midna stopped, and quirked an eyebrow.

"Now…..now no one can have it. Only I am fit to rule its power you filthy whore…now it's back in Hyrule, where you or that pathetic fat king of yours can't get it." He panted. Midna smirked, continuing to step towards him.

"I have no use for your pitiful little toy." She said, raising her hand to fire the spell that would release the porthole. A spark flew, and actually embedded itself into Majora's chest. He clutched his chest in pain, and the tentacle began writhing like a snake being tortured. Majora had never felt pain like this. Midna did not know this could happen, but she was delighted to be causing this madman so much pain. Much like Zant's expression before, Midna's face now carried a slight devious smirk.

"Your leaving Majora, going to a place where even less people will love you…" she said spitefully. Amongst his groans of pain, Majora looked up with a sneering laugh.

"Even if I go….." He grunted. "I've sown the seeds of madness…I have left my mark here in this world, Midna. And I will leave my mark in the next world as well…" Midna snarled at this speech.

"Not as long as I have breath!!" She yelled, increasing the strength of her spell. Majora let out another howled cry as the porthole took effect inside his body. It looked like his body was imploding all into a small inch hole, being sucked into a singular point. The noise alone made Midna sick; it was the sound of many bones being crushed into a small entry. His howl disappeared into the hole, fading into a prolonged echo that would end in Termina. Midna sighed a deep sigh of relief. It was over, Majora was gone forever. Midna could have collapsed right then and there, but quickly went to go find Zant. She was afraid he was caught in the rather large blast that had totaled their prized garden. She found him standing absently where she had left him, still looking empty and confused. With Majora's banishment, the pictures in his head seemed to have stopped. Midna walked towards him slowly, trying not to scare him.

"So he's gone then…." Zant asked, staring blankly forward.

"Yeah…he's gone." She reassured. Something didn't seem right. "Zant?"

"What…"

"You're ok, right? You can tell me, I'm here to help you. I want to help you." Zant sighed. He could say nothing to her. He couldn't tell her that the majority of the demented things he saw included her. Whether she was ridiculing his faults, or tempting his weaker side, it was all too terrible and embarrassing to say. Thoughts that he had suppressed for years all hit him at once, thoughts he was afraid to even entertain as mere daydreams. Zant looked around the ruined garden, and then up at the discolored sky. For the first time in his life, it all felt foreign.

"I'm fine." He said, his voice returning to normal. "Majora's gone to Termina forever, and we can help the people heal. Work is not over." He was not fooling Midna, because she grabbed his hand firmly as he began to walk away.

"You can tell me." She insisted, her eyes pleading with his. She noticed that he quickly avoided eye contact. Zant pulled away again after a prolonged silence.

"We have work to do." He repeated, leaving the worried Midna behind. He walked through the rubble and shattered stone, going on ahead. He peered back at Midna, who was observing the destruction of the sacred garden, obviously still shocked from the events that had transpired. She was bruised and tired, and Zant thought it was the most beautiful he had ever seen her be.

(Stay tuned for the Epilogue)


	4. Epilogue

Tale of a Moon Monger

Epilogue

As Zant had said, there was work to be done. People were still panicking and dying from the after effects of Majora's deadly attack. Zant and Midna scrambled around to help whoever they could, and make Majora's end public knowledge. Zant did a convincing job hiding his shaken psyche, trying to offer the damaged people a strong arm to lean on. Like Midna, he pushed himself head first into the citizens to try and help them. First hand he saw faces filled with sorrow and fear, lost children still searching for their families, pale figures crying of their horrendous burns. Zant was better at hiding his disgust and sorrow from the people, still maintaining that an authority figure would promote more ease to the masses. Midna was still very vocal about her sadness for them, and wasn't afraid to wear her feelings on her sleeve. It was this shared sorrow that drew the public to her; Zant was still unable to replicate this effect. He began to see Majora's point as more than mere ramblings, as much as he hated to admit it.

It was only until after Majora's 'demise' was announced, did the king show himself and finally offer his condolences and help. Zant and Midna were beyond disgusted at this so called ruler. Midna was vocal about her outrage, and the people agreed with her. Once again she was able to rally everyone to her side by sheer force of personality. The king, who expected Zant to defend him, was sorely mistaken. Zant stood on the side and let it all happen, with a smile on his face even. Relations between the king and his two underlings only grew worse when he realized that neither of them had recovered the Fused Shadow.

"You mean after all of this…you didn't even get the Fused Shadow?!" He thundered in disbelief. The King looked frailer than usual.

"No. We didn't." Midna said, crossing her arms. "You only told one of us about it, and there were more important matters to deal with. We had to take matters into our own hands."

"Matters into your own hands-my word is law when I sit on this throne!"

"But you weren't sitting on that throne, you were hiding." Zant replied, stoically. "You were hiding like an insect, while your people burned in the square." Midna glanced over at the unfeeling Zant, surprised at his aggressive statements. The King was not pleased. He stood up and glowered down at Zant. He knew that he could easily control him with his anger.

"How dare you, Zant…" He said, putting a percussive emphasis on his name. "Giving me that tone of voice…you forget your place!" Zant was quick to answer. With his nostrils flaring and his eyes burning, he stomped up towards the king as his voice rose.

"Do you think that I'm afraid of YOU?!" Zant thundered, practically pushing the king back in his throne. The old King looked rather frightened. "I….we, do all the dirty work your too weak to do…what power do you really have?! You make me sick; I should snap your neck right now!!" He threatened, raising a hand at him to strike the cowering king.

"Midna do something!!" The King squeaked. Midna calmly rushed up to the scene, and grabbed Zant's wrist. Zant twitched at their contact, still avoiding eye contact with her. Zant pulled away and walked back.

"I'm sorry my lord, Zant is very fatigued. He did most of the fighting against Majora, and as you know he was very strong to begin with." She said, exaggerating to cover his steps. Zant faced his back to both of them.

"I see…." The king said, raising an eyebrow and sitting higher in his throne. "If he is so effective with his combat, he should be commended…" The king was nervously complimenting Zant now, most likely out of fear of Zant's retribution for all the times the King belittled him. He thought quickly, trying hard to keep Zant calm.

"Zant…I have a new duty for you, and you alone. See me when you calm down…you both are dismissed. Now." Zant walked out quickly and quietly when he was dismissed, Midna pacing after him. She was sure to catch up to him quickly after they had left the throne room.

"Zant! What is wrong with you?!" She exclaimed. Zant paused, and gave her a backward glance.

"Thank you." He said, referring to her quick explanation for his anger. He walked off on her again. Midna sighed with exasperation.  
Zant was never truly the same after his contact with Majora. He had become increasingly distant over time, not even stopping to indulge Midna's playfully argumentative nature. Very soon, his sour logical conclusions to her idle arguments escalated their conversations into full out fights. Zant would avoid her more and more, and she did not know why. His lack of communication towards her quickly made her feel depressed. In reality, she was in a similar predicament to Zant. Even though he was (in a manner of speaking) her rival, he was also her only real friend. Midna was too proud to ever admit she admired him for his seemingly iron will, and she was too arrogant to even indulge that she might have felt something deeper for him. Now Zant was treating her like a mere annoyance, refusing to have meetings at the same time as her whenever working with the king.

The king treated Zant with more caution from that point on and put him in charge of the next big project for the Twili realm. Zant was going to be in charge of raising a defense force, something the Twili had never done before. Zant himself developed the power source of the Sol orbs, which could power machine like artifacts to protect their lands. Zant also began developing odd forms of magic and experimenting with them. More and more he was beginning to resemble the sorcerer he had once feared and respected, Majora. Midna became an adamant opposer of his methods, but much to her chagrin the King supported them fully. And then one unexpected day, the king died mysteriously. From what all could tell the causes were of old age. Midna had suspected some form of foul play, but never had enough evidence to point any fingers. While Zant had been building and innovating, Midna had been acting and advising for the people. She been keeping the peace in the increasingly troubling times of their world and for that reason she was elected as their new leader, the Twilight Princess.

***

Majora drifted through the wide land of Termina. He had no feeling, no physical body as it had been destroyed on the way to his new prison. His mind silently screamed in agony and hate as his mere shadow swam across the deceivingly peaceful landscape. Everywhere his disembodied soul went, he would see all the things he coveted in his previous life. Green grass, fresh water, an open sky, the sun, and most importantly the lonely and solitary moon above. But as much as he reached for these things, he could never touch them. Majora could not feel any of the wonders, and what made his very soul ache with pain and terror was the fact that nearly every 'living' thing thriving off the land took these things entirely for granted. There were various races living in secluded sections of Termina, but the ones Majora took a particular coveted interest in were the "Terminans". The people of Termina looked how the Hylians naturally looked. Beautiful smooth skin, hair and eyes of varying color, and physical features that could range from extreme to beautiful. The Terminan people all lived in one city, secluded and completely oblivious to the world around them. Majora noticed quickly that they were all afraid of the outside plains that surrounded their quaint and industrious town. They had no real appreciation for the grass, or the moon like he did. The only real thing they noticed and appreciated was the passing time, as the town itself had been built around a large ominous clock tower. The area itself was simply called "Clocktown", and was located in the exact center of the lands. No matter where you were in Termina, you could hear the midnight bell tolling away the empty eternity.

Majora could hardly adapt to how quickly time passed in this world, and everyone seemed to be worried that they were running out of it. Like his clock had studied, a typical week consisted of three cycles of the sun and moon. One 'day' in Twili times was many years in Terminan time, and he was not used to how quickly the life moved. After a few of these cycles, Majora's soul acclimated to match their speed. Another thing he noted while invisibly floating around the Terminans was that none of them ever aged or changed, and they had no idea of it. They were completely oblivious to the immortality bestowed on them. Little children stayed children, the workers and guards never got any older, and their routines would never change. They were afraid of deviating from their assigned tasks even for one day. The only real joy and jolly time they felt (and the only time the other races would mingle with one another) was the Festival of Time. The merriment was nonstop for a full three days, three days where all their nameless fears melted away. They would worship the Four Guardians that protected them, offering song, dance, and fireworks in their honor. After this period of festivities, they all resumed their quiet lives for another year. It began to disgust Majora as the years repeatedly ticked away. Everything about these people began to make him sick, especially their resistance to change.

The more time Majora spent among this world, the more desolate and lonely he became. He cursed Midna and screamed for her death, but no one could hear him. He would travel the old ruins where their fallen race had once lived, including the giant stone tower where his people had been sealed to their doom. Now all that was left in their place were a mere tribe of men and women living in the hollowed out tower and the dead cliffside. They painted their bodies in similar ways to the Twilight and they too were like the Terminans, completely oblivious to everything and afraid of an impending doom that no one could see. But even these simple people could not stop Majora's downward spiral. Without feeling or contact, Majora felt parts of him dying and disappearing. All sense of being was draining from him and vanishing forever. He tried hard to resist it, desperately trying to retain bits and pieces of his natural self, but nothing would work. He wept for friends and prayed with all his heart that someone would see him, but nothing happened. Even those parts of him began to fade away, until he hardly even noticed it happening. He eventually forgot who he was and what he was, becoming nothing more than an amalgamated mass of powerful emotions. All that was left of Majora was his obsession, anger, and desire to have everything.

But like he had promised to Midna, these attributes of himself became amplified and powerful, until finally they breached into physical consciousness in Termina. Majora resurrected himself as a simplistic demonic spirit, bent on consuming as much as it could. The people of Ikana canyon worshiped the spirit as a respected demon, appearing as a strange shadowy monster with large red eyes and a gaping maw that would try and consume all it could. Majora was especially fond of causing freak accidents that would inspire more fear, as it increased his overall influence. His presence gave the underlying fear of the people a face, but they still had no name for it. While the Terminans grew fearful and depressed from the creature, the Ikanites grew powerful and advanced through Majora's influence. He was bringing change for the first time to the stale and stable Termina, albeit negative change. Legends of this shadow being began to circulate among all the races. People who began acting out irrationally, becoming easily emotional, or inexplicably greedy and violent were said to be marked by the beast. Very soon, people began dying. First, creatures and people were found stripped of flesh down to the muscle. Then, bare skeletons were found. Soon, people began disappearing altogether. Once during the Festival of Time, Majora attacked in plain sight. The people watched as a man was consumed into the vacuum like maw of this shadow. Panic and irrationality ran rampant through the people, and for once they prayed.

The Goddesses had been alerted to these disturbing events by the Four Guardians, who were virtually powerless to stop this selfish creature. They had sent a being through to their world, to put a stop to the disturbances. One day in Clock Town, a mysterious white haired man appeared through the old Clock Tower. He had a grim, yet friendly demeanor, and answered to no name they would give him. This man carried a large sword and a flute like instrument, and silently traveled the plains of Termina in search of this creature. The various races referred to this man as "Oni", the embodiment of a fierce deity. Oni was unaffected by the fear lingering in Termina, and even inspired faith and courage among the people he had met. Oni was perfectly impartial and went around helping anyone who asked for it, asking for nothing in return. As Oni traveled Termina, a sense of relief and commencement followed.  
The selflessness and lack of personal gain had caught the bright eyes of the now mindless Majora, and eventually he was cornered within the stone tower. The tower had a porthole that led to the deserts far beyond the canyons reach, where the Ikana people had created giant stone building like monuments to the creature. There, Oni and Majora fought, with no witnesses whatsoever. An eternity of savage anger lashed out at the mysterious visitor, but he seemed unafraid and unphased by Majora. Physical fighting was useless, as Majora had no physical body to attack. But Oni was intelligent, and could smell the unrestful soul within. With a quick melody on his flute, Majora once again felt himself briefly taking form. For a small moment, his original form felt like it was restoring itself. Wonder and excitement was peacefully filling in the missing parts of his soul, and he felt healed of his depression. But just as it culminated, it was all wrenched away from him and his simple animalistic form remained, now in a smaller prison. Now Majora had nothing to call his own, not even an angry spirit. He was a mere state of mind, an abstract consciousness that held his real self at bay, condensed to a small physical shell. The insanity and terror he felt was only heightened. Majora had forgotten completely who he had used to be, who Midna and Zant were, and the life he once led.

Oni disappeared without a trace after that. But his leaving caused another major change in Termina. For the first time since they had gotten there, a whole generation passed. Some elderly died, some children grew up, and some people had branched out into other sections of Termina. It was a brief but beautiful time of change, like spring finally coming after a long dark winter. New children were born, and they grew for a while. Change had come again, and it was positive effect this time. But it would not last, as time became stagnant once again. Slowly, the inevitable fear of the end resumed itself in the minds of the Terminans, an end that they never knew would never really come.

Another strange occurrence lingered in Termina after Oni's passing. Unknown to all of the Terminans, there was now a door between realms. The once isolated prison of Termina had a secret entrance and exit that only a special blessed few could pass through. A traveling visitor would occasionally appear in Clock Town. A strange foreign man would come and go mysteriously, always leaving an uncomfortable atmosphere in his wake. He was smiling always, and carried masks with him. The chuckling man was friendly, but too friendly in a way. Like Oni before him, he too had no name and would never stay in Termina for long. He would appear whenever an incurable trouble would arrive, and after it subsided, he would leave Termina wielding a new mask. People grew to fear this strange traveler, doing their best to avoid him.

Majora's shell was rediscovered by his blessed Ikana people, but worn as a ceremonial item. Majora had become a mere mask for people to wear in the rituals they practiced. Those that wore him like a face soon discovered that they had his power, his drive, and depending on their self worth, his mind. For brief moments, attributes of his shattered consciousness would manifest within the wielder of his mask. The fragmented spirit used this to his advantage, finally giving a name for the people to know. Majora's Mask became a powerful tool for authority within the tribe. The head of the tribes would wear him and wield his power, but would lose themselves in it the longer they wore it. If worn for too long, the men or women wearing it would not be able to differentiate themselves from Majora, and would be consumed by his greed for bigger and better things. They began disappearing again, their clothes being found discarded with a mask lying on top of the pile. One by one Majora absent mindedly ate their souls, gaining their fears and hopes into his own spirit in an attempt to rebuild himself. Then one day, the Ikana tribes had completely vanished. They simply ceased to be, and no one knew why.

Majora's Mask lay discarded within the Stone Tower, and crushing silence invaded the completely dead lands. The mask lay forgotten for en eternity, while Termina's time endlessly ticked away. The only person who seemed to know of this mask at all was this mysterious traveler, who would come back to Termina for three day periods to try and search for the mask. He never stayed too long, possibly out of fear that he would be trapped in Termina or he would become infected with their anxiety. Some speculated that he was a demon trying to steal souls to add to his collection of masks. Other more enlightened tribes thought that the nameless salesman was a messenger from the Goddesses, sent to collect the troubles that the people suffered from. No one really knew, but they all would stay well away from him regardless. His disposition was rather off-putting, no matter what purpose he served.

***

Back in the Twili Realm, Zant pushed himself over the edge with his own depression. He watched Midna take all the glory and all of the power. Vulnerable and defeated, Zant completely alienated his colleagues and slipped into madness. He became dark and violent, unstable and bipolar. Midna reluctantly gave up and trying to reach him due to his unpredictability. Zant began speaking of "commencing the race" and taking back the golden realm. While acting under Midna, Zant was a vocal critic of her methods.

"We need not stay stagnant as an empire and as a species. We have the means to take back the world that was robbed from us!! Midna is content to keep us in the dark!!" He would say during his many public speeches. Midna was only bothered by these speeches because Zant was the one performing them. Zant kept undermining her orders and speaking out against her until she could not condone it anymore. She finally began returning Zant's hostility and forbid him from speaking out against her. His rage only worsened from that, as he began experimenting with his magic to transform regular citizens into monstrous combat versions of themselves. Zant was secretly building an army behind Midna's back. He did not realize it, but he had effectively replaced Majora as the most dangerous being in the Twilight Realm.

***

Majora lay dormant, lost and forgotten within Termina. Silence and shadows were all he saw, and all he felt. He was waiting for another chance to strike back, strike back at anything he could. The next person to wear his mask would be the prophet of his revenge, and his revenge would finally bring the impending doom of Termina. Majora would consume all he could, and then sneak his way into the Golden Realm to unleash his hysteria on the Goddesses themselves. All he needed now was an avatar to enact his scheme…


End file.
